Weekend Condo Project: 15 Ways To Transform Cups and Mugs

Most homes we know have one thing too many and most of the time, its cups. Are you guilty of that too? Do you also have too many plastic cups, disposable cups, ceramic cups, and even mugs that you probably got as souvenirs from parties and events? Do they look dull and boring? We thought so.

Transforming plain cups is a great weekend condo project. You are not only upcycling these cups into something exciting for the home, this is also a good DIY project that  the kids will surely enjoy and learn from. So if you have no plans this weekend, line up those boring plain cups among the household items for a DIY fix and make condo living more fun, creative, and exciting. You can even ask your next-door neighbors in the condo community if they have cups you can use for a DIY project. They would be glad to get rid of them. Here are some ideas you can do:

Mark and bake

Your kids probably have those markers that they use to write and draw everywhere. Put this rather exasperating hobby to good use. Bring out those white or plain-colored mugs and tell your kids to draw and write whatever they please on the mug. Use oil-based markers for this DIY project. It would be best if they practice on a piece of paper first or use patterns they can trace. Teens and adults may write quotes to inspire them while sipping coffee in the morning. Let it dry overnight and then bake for 30 minutes at 350-degrees Fahrenheit. Place the mug in the oven before it heats up and leave it there until the oven cools down completely to avoid cracks.

Personalize with polish

Aside from markers and sharpies, you also use your nail polish to personalize ceramic tea cups or coffee mugs. This is another fun project you can do with the kids. Water marbles are a big hit and you can do these using your plain white cups and mugs, too. You just need to pour in your desired polish color in a bowl of water. Dip your cup or mug then let it dry.

Mood in every cup

Whatever it is that you want to say, you can say it in a mug. Use porcelain paint to brush or outline the design you want. This will definitely give your mugs character. Be as goofy, funny, and inspiring as you want. Let the paint dry overnight, then bake it.

Candle in a cup

Forget those old fashioned candle holders. If you are thinking of a cool centerpiece, candles in a cup will definitely stir a conversation with your guests. Use any tea cup and pour some candle mixture: paraffin wax, hardener, and your desired scent.

Tea cup lights

Pendant lights add drama to any room. But you don’t have to spend much for that kind of drama. All you need are your old tea cups and saucers. Fill your sink with enough water to cover all your cups and saucers. Why? You need to drill underwater or it will get too hot. Using a diamond drill bit, carefully make holes in your cups and saucers big enough for the cord to get through. Unscrew the cover on the light cord, thread it through the holes, then screw the cover back. Hang them and get the dramatic effect you want.

Give your lamp a new look

Tired of the usual shade on your lamp? Take off the shade and replace it with a saucer and cup with a hole in the middle. Make sure the hole is big enough for the cord. This DIY project works best for those lamps with flexible stands.

Herbs in a cup

Want a garden in your kitchen? Why don’t you start growing your own tea cup garden? This is a great new use for plain cups that will surely give character to your kitchen. Buy ready-made herbal plants like thyme, chives, and oregano at the store and plant them in the cup or mug. Any other plant you want is also okay. Remember to put some charcoal and gravel at the bottom of the soil, since cups have no natural drainage. Here’s a tip: hang them in a peg board so they won’t take up much space. After all, what are those cup handles for right?

Its cup o’clock

Is it time for dinner? Well, you can ask your tea cup clock about that. You will need a piece of wood to use as base. Then look around for 12 cup and saucer sets. They don’t have to match and you may also paint them with your desired art or color. Glue the cup to the saucer and the saucer to the wood like the numbers on a clock. Make sure to use glue that can hold porcelain. To hold the cups better, drill a hole on the wood and put some bolts or drill a hole directly in the saucer. Next, drill a hole in the middle for the clock mechanism. This weekend condo project will surely be a great wall piece in your kitchen or dining area.

Organize with cups

If you have those lean plastic cups (not the disposable ones), dress them up using washi tapes. Glue them side by side, forming a tower. For example, four cups for base, three for the middle level, then two for the top level. You can now use them as containers for your pens, coloring pencils, brushes and other writing tools.

Make a jewelry stand

If you can’t seem to find a place for all your accessories, then this DIY project should be among the things you should do in your condo this weekend: a tea cup jewelry stand. You may also just stack saucers and cups alternately. You may paint the cups first before proceeding. All you need to do is get a plate to serve as base then glue tea cups side by side then upward.

Hanging storage

Cups and mugs are the perfect storage for pens, accessories, keys, and little knick-knacks. Glue the side of the cup or mug into a plate then mount the plate on the wall. Be careful what glue to use. Porcelain will need harder glue than plastic. Voila! You now have storage for the little things you always tend to lose.

Scary cups for Halloween

Your kids will surely love this DIY project for Halloween. Get colored cups, position them upside down, and ask your kids to draw scary faces on them. Then, put battery tea lights under each cup. This easy DIY with kids will surely boost the fear factor in your next Halloween party.

Make a witchy wreath 

All you need are orange and black cups for this project. If black cups are particularly hard to find, you may just paint them. Once dry, stack them by stapling one cup to the other. Leave about an inch or two when you staple so the color comes out. Form a circle. Then add a black ribbon, a skull, or a pumpkin ornament. This Halloween wreath is a scary welcome treat to your guests.

Turn party cups into a snowman

 Christmas is just two months away. If you want to make a snowman, all you need are those white disposable cups that weren’t used in the last party you hosted. First of all, decide the size of your snowman. Staple plastic cups to each other to form a circle. Make a smaller circle to make up his head. Continue attaching the cups until you form the size of sphere you want. Use colored paper to make the snowman’s eyes, nose, and hat, then just wrap a scarf around its neck. Finally, put a lamp inside the plastic snowman so it glows from the inside.

Assemble sparkle balls

All you need are clear, disposable cups and string lights. Make a hole at the bottom of each cup, then attach them to each other to form a circle. Then run the string lights through the holes. Make sure they are LED so they don’t overheat. Hang them wherever you like. Preparing for Christmas and decorating your home as soon as “ber” months begin is a good way to kill rainy day boredom in your condo.